At JP Morgan, Qiagen CEO Peer Schatz discussed a new digital PCR system and handheld reader for TB testing; Qiagen's acquisition of N-of-One; and its new sample prep system.
The UK developers believe that their device has the potential for multiplex testing at the point of care using solid-state nanopore sensing with DNA probes.
The firm will use its solid-state nanopore technology to develop a point-of-care molecular diagnostic device to detect tuberculosis in low-resource areas.
The genomic analysis also found that drug resistance mutations have appeared locally, suggesting that the issue can still be addressed region by region.
The PCR assay is intended to help detect TB-causing bacteria and determine if it harbors mutations associated with isoniazid and rifampicin resistance.
A preliminary analysis based on high-resolution metabolomics pointed to three blood plasma metabolites with apparent ties to active, pulmonary tuberculosis.
The court ruled that Roche's claims are patent-ineligible because they are "directed to a natural phenomenon and lack any inventive concept" for a patent.
Already, public health organizations in the UK, the Netherlands, and New York state are moving toward implementing NGS for tuberculosis drug susceptibility testing.
The firm has been placing point-of-care systems primarily in the private sector, but may have increased access once it completes WHO prequalification review.
